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MEMO: Nine Years Since Last Minimum Wage Increase, Democratic Senate Candidates Fight to Raise the Wage

TO: Interested Parties

FROM: DSCC

DATE: May 25, 2016

RE: Nine Years Since Last Minimum Wage Increase, Democratic Senate Candidates Fight to Raise the Wage

 

Today marks the nine-year anniversary since the last increase to the federal minimum wage—which now stands at $7.25 an hour, or less than $15,000 a year for a full-time worker. Since 1968, the minimum wage has lost one-third of its value, meaning American workers are falling further behind at a time when Republican Senators and candidates continue to advocate for tax breaks for their corporate interest backers and the wealthiest Americans.

 

That’s why Democrats for Senate are focused on putting the interests of hard working Americans first. While their opponents align themselves with Trump and promote a variety of anti-worker policies, in every battleground U.S. Senate state, Democrats are fighting to ensure equal pay for equal work, pass paid family leave, and to raise the minimum wage to at least $12 an hour, which would result in a raise for more than 35 million Americans and increase wages by nearly $80 million.

 

Increasing the minimum wage is good for workers, it’s good for families, and it’s good for the economy. Women comprise about two-thirds of minimum wage workers, and increasing the minimum wage would mean a raise for at least one million veterans nationwide.

 

Raising the minimum wage would also reduce enrollment and save taxpayer dollars needed to fund public assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

 

If the minimum wage moved to $12 an hour, the average worker would receive a yearly wage increase of approximately $2,275. That’s money that can be spent on rent, groceries, gas mileage or child care.

 

State by State Figures Demonstrate Positive Impact of Raising the Wage in Battleground States

 

No matter the battleground Senate race this year, raising the minimum wage would mean more money in the pockets of at least a fifth of the state’s workforce and an increase in wages representing hundreds of millions of dollars.

   
State State’s Current Minimum Wage Total Affected Workers Share of State’s workforce Total Wage Increase Average Annual Wage Increase for Affected Workers
Arizona $8.05 779,000 28.7% $1.7 billion $2,300
Colorado $8.31 488,000 20.1% $1 billion $2,100
Florida $8.05 2,255,000 26.8% $5.7 billion $2,500
Illinois $8.25 1,454,000 25.3% $3.5 billion $2,400
Indiana $7.25 855,000 29.2% $2.4 billion $2,800
Iowa $7.25 412,000 27% $1 billion $2,500
Kentucky $7.25 535,000 29.8% $1.5billion $2,900
Missouri $7.65 713,000 26.6% $1.9 billion $2,700
New Hampshire $7.25 141,000 21.5% $327.5 million $2,300
Nevada $8.25 362,000 29.5% $983 million $2,700
North Carolina $7.25 1,335,000 32.5% $3.9 billion $3,000
Ohio $8.10 1,343,000 25.9% $2.9 billion $2,200
Pennsylvania $7.25 1,402,000 24.3% $3.4 billion $2,500
Wisconsin $7.25 654,000 23.8% $1.6 billion $2,500

NCSL, 4/14/16; EPI, 5/7/15;

 

Republicans Continue to Leave Working Americans Behind

 

While Democrats are working to provide their constituents with a raise, Republicans continue to stand in the way of progress. Every Republican U.S. Senate candidate has voted against or opposed an increase to the federal minimum wage, and many of them also oppose policies that would help working Americans get ahead.

 

To name just a few examples:

 

Richard Burr don’t even believe there should be a federal minimum wage, and Ron Johnson called efforts to increase the minimum wage “disturbing.” Rand Paul believes raising the minimum wage would hurt “minorities and children.” John McCain has voted against a raise to the minimum wage more than 20 times.

 

Meanwhile, Mark Kirk called the Paycheck Fairness Act “the most sexist legislation you can have.” And Rob Portman, Pat Toomey and Kelly Ayotte continue to protect tax breaks for companies who ship jobs overseas while also protecting tax breaks for millionaires.

 

The Choice Facing Voters This Fall

 

At a time when increasing income inequality is one of the biggest challenges facing the nation, Democrats are the only party taking action and supporting policies that would grow the economy, reduce the income gap and help ensure every American can have a fair shot at getting ahead. Voters will remember who fought for them come November, and who sold them out to pander to their corporate backers.

 

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